Adjustable support stand for pre-cast concrete wall forms

Abstract

An adjustable support stand is mounted on a pre-cast concrete wall panel form to facilitate the leveling of the form and the support of the form about the production plant floor. The adjustable support stand includes a frame portion that houses a threaded rod positional fixed for rotation within the frame portion to drive a vertical movement of the leg member in response to rotation of the threaded rod. The adjustable support stand further includes a clamping apparatus that detachably mounts the frame portion to the flanges of a steel beam frame member. The actuator member can be a nut welded to the top of the threaded rod to affect movement of the engaged leg member in response to manipulation with a powered or manually operated hand tool, or a gear set and an orthogonal drive shaft that transfers rotation from a hand tool to the threaded rod.

1. A support stand for a pre-cast concrete wall panel form having a generally horizontally oriented flange, comprising:
 a frame portion including a top plate and at least one gusset; 
 a clamping mechanism mounted to said frame portion to permit a detachable connection of said support stand to said flange on said pre-cast concrete wall panel form, said clamping mechanism including:
 a fixed clamp member attached to said frame portion and having a first hook portion for engaging a first beam flange of said pre-cast concrete wall panel form; 
 a movable clamp member having a second hook portion formed substantially identically to said first hook portion and being oriented in opposition thereto for movement in a direction toward and away from said first hook member for engaging a second beam flange of said pre-cast concrete wall panel form; and 
 fasteners interconnecting said fixed clamp member and said movable clamp member and being oriented parallel to said direction of movement of said movable clamp member to control through threading on said fasteners that provide a variable range of adjustment the positioning of said second hook portion relative to said first hook portion; 
 
 a leg assembly supported within said frame portion for linear movement relative thereto, said at least one gusset guiding the linear movement of said leg assembly, said leg assembly including:
 a leg member having a threaded member affixed thereto; 
 a threaded rod rotatably supported on said top plate and engaged with said threaded member so that said threaded member is operable to move along the length of said threaded rod upon rotation of said threaded rod; and 
 a driver nut affixed to an end of said threaded rod to effect rotation thereof; and 
 
 an actuator mechanism operably coupled to said leg assembly to affect selective linear movement of said leg assembly. 
 
     
     
       2. The support stand of  claim 1  wherein said actuator mechanism comprises:
 a drive shaft rotatably mounted on vertical supports extending upwardly from said top plate; 
 a first gear mounted on said threaded rod; and 
 a second gear mounted on said drive shaft in engagement with said first gear such that the rotation of said drive shaft and said second gear causes a corresponding rotation of said first gear and said threaded rod. 
 
     
     
       3. The support stand of  claim 2  wherein said drive shaft includes a driver nut affixed to a remote end of said drive shaft for access with a tool to cause rotation of said drive shaft. 
     
     
       4. The support stand of  claim 1  wherein said driver nut is affixed to an upper end of said threaded rod to cause rotation of said threaded rod when rotated. 
     
     
       5. The support stand of  claim 1  wherein said fixed clamp member is supported above said top plate of said frame portion by a housing, said actuator mechanism being accessible through said housing. 
     
     
       6. In a form assembly for manufacturing pre-cast concrete wall panels, said form assembly including I-beam frame members, the improvement comprising:
 an adjustable length support stand affixed to each one of a plurality of selected locations on said I-beam frame members, each said adjustable length support stand being operable to vertically position the corresponding said I-beam frame member at a selected height above a fixed reference plane, each said support stand including:
 a frame portion including a top plate and at least one gusset; 
 a leg assembly supported within said frame portion and having a linearly extendable leg member for linear vertical movement relative to said frame portion, said at least one gusset guiding the linear movement of said leg member; and 
 an actuator mechanism operably coupled to said leg assembly to affect selective linear movement of said leg member; and 
 a clamping mechanism mounted to said frame portion to permit a detachable connection of said support stand to said I-beam frame member, said clamping mechanism including: 
 a fixed clamp member attached to said frame portion and having a first hook portion for engaging a first beam flange of said pre-cast concrete wall panel form; 
 a movable clamp member having a second hook portion formed substantially identically to said first hook portion and being oriented in opposition thereto for movement in a direction toward and away from said first hook member for engaging a second beam flange of said pre-cast concrete wall panel form; and 
 fasteners interconnecting said fixed clamp member and said movable clamp member and being oriented parallel to said direction of movement of said movable clamp member to control through threading on said fasteners that provide a variable range of adjustment the positioning of said second hook portion relative to said first hook portion. 
 
 
     
     
       7. The form assembly of  claim 6  wherein said fixed clamp member is supported above said top plate of said frame portion by a housing, said actuator mechanism being accessible through said housing. 
     
     
       8. The form assembly of  claim 7  wherein said leg assembly comprises:
 said leg member having a threaded member affixed thereto; and 
 a threaded rod rotatably supported on said top plate and engaged with said threaded member so that said threaded member is operable to move along the length of said threaded rod upon rotation of said threaded rod. 
 
     
     
       9. The form assembly of  claim 8  wherein said actuator mechanism comprises:
 a drive shaft rotatably mounted on vertical supports extending upwardly from said top plate; 
 a first gear mounted on said threaded rod; and 
 a second gear mounted on said drive shaft in engagement with said first gear such that the rotation of said drive shaft and said second gear causes a corresponding rotation of said first gear and said threaded rod. 
 
     
     
       10. The support stand of  claim 9  wherein said drive shaft includes a driver nut affixed to a remote end of said drive shaft, said drive shaft projecting outwardly of said housing to locate said driver nut externally of said housing. 
     
     
       11. The support stand of  claim 8  wherein said actuator mechanism comprises:
 a driver nut affixed to an upper end of said threaded rod to cause rotation of said threaded rod when rotated, said housing being open on at least one side thereof to permit access to said driver nut.